Document 1 discloses an example of a collided object-protecting apparatus for effectively absorbing shock (impact) energy applied to a collided object during a vehicle collision.
Document 1 discloses a technology in which, when a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian is detected by a pedestrian-detecting mechanism, due to the pedestrian detecting mechanism, a release mechanism is operated to release an engagement between a hood lock mechanism and a striker, and a spring force is used to lift up the front of a hood in a predetermined lifting amount, thus enabling the front of the hood to be moved to a position at which impact energy during a vehicle collision can be absorbed effectively.
Further, as a technology similar to that of Document 1, a technology in which impact energy with respect to a collided object is absorbed by lifting up the rear of a hood or that in which the impact energy is absorbed by inflating airbag apparatuses in the vicinity of the rear of a hood.
Now, it can be considered to provide a vehicle with a plurality of such collided object-protecting apparatuses as described above. However, in predicting a vehicle collision, if the rear of a hood is lifted up or airbags equipped in the vicinity of the rear of the hood are inflated, in reality, at the stage of a prediction, the rear of the hood is lifted up or airbags in the vicinity of the rear of the hood are inflated. For this reason, a problem is caused in that a driver's visibility is hindered by the lifted up hood or the inflated airbag apparatuses, thus deteriorating visibility.
Further, once airbag apparatuses are inflated, in order to restore the airbag to the original condition, there is no way other than replacing the airbag apparatuses with new ones. Accordingly, it is necessary to avoid unexpected inflation of airbag apparatuses.
(Document 1: Japanese Patent Application (JP-A) Laid-Open No. 2002-79906).